Trumka Speech To UAW-75th Anniversary

George Bush left us the worst economy since the Great Depression. He gave away trillions in tax breaks to the wealthy. He let Wall Street and the big banks run wild. Since our recession started in 2007, we have an 11 million jobs hole. And even those who are fortunate enough to be working are living in fear of pink slips and givebacks, hollowed-out health care, foreclosures and pension freezes. Nobody knows this better than the people of Detroit.

We've got to turn the page on the policies that led to this mess. And then we need to move on to a brighter future. Walter Reuther used to say that we don't have time to look into the rear-view mirror. And today, we'd add, not even if that mirror was built by proud UAW IPS workers.

We have got to be "the architects of the future." And I can tell you this: America's future must include a strong, growing, globally competitive domestic auto industry whose workers enjoy union representation, middle class wages, and secure health coverage and retirement benefits.

That's how we built the world's strongest economy and the world's largest middle class. And I am here to tell you that the AFL-CIO stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the UAW in the struggle to rescue, rebuild and revitalize the great American auto industry.more......